There are few things more Taiwanese and more grassroots than glove
puppet theater. In recent years, it has become something of a cultural
icon. In addition to being the subject of a recent two-hour documentary
on the Public Television Service, the late Li Tien-lu (李天祿), puppet
master of the Yi Wan Ran (亦宛然), troupe was designated a national
treasure and made the subject of a major motion picture by Hou
Hsiao-hsian (侯孝賢). Another feature film, The Legend of the Stone,
broke Taiwan box office records and heralded the arrival of glove
puppets as a force in the 21st century.
As if all that wasn't enough, the National Center for Traditional Arts
(國立傳統藝術中心) with the support of the Council of Cultural Affairs,
will bring together many of Taiwan's best glove puppet troupes in a
massive celebration of the art at the Nankuan and Peikuan Music Hall(南
北管音樂戲曲館) in Changhua starting today and running until Nov. 11.
One of the great traditions of Taiwanese puppetry was a battle of stages
in which troupes would compete for the attention of an audience in a
single village square, often even inserting veiled references to the
quality of the other performances into their own show. This outdoor
performance will recreate some of the excitement, with top troupes
competing against each other for the applause of the crowd.
The gathering of such a group of outstanding performers is a rare
opportunity to see regional and stylistic difference in glove-puppet
performance. Some troupes have retained a very traditional
interpretation of glove puppetry, while others have made strenuous
efforts to adapt to the tastes of a younger, modern audience. By placing
the performance in an outdoor venue accessible to all, the institute
hopes to give this doyen of traditional arts greater exposure and revive
its bygone popularity.
The Nankuan and Beikung Hall is located at 66 Pingho 7th St., Lunping
Li, Changhua, (彰化市崙平里平和七街六十六號). For more information,
contact, tel (02) 2809-8450 or (04) 751-0709.
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